When it comes to looking after workers, Donald Trump would be hypocrite-in-chief: Chris Shelton

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and running mate Gov. Mike Pence are before an invited crowd in King of Prussia, Nov. 1, 2016.

(Dan Gleiter, PennLive.com)

By Chris Shelton

When someone, especially a political candidate, says, "Believe me," that's the signal to take a close look at their record.

That's how we know Donald Trump doesn't really care about bringing manufacturing jobs back to Pennsylvania. If he did, he wouldn't have built his career on outsourcing millions of dollars of business to China, India, Mexico, and other countries.

Trump said on the campaign trail, "Pennsylvania steel and the incredible steel workers will send new skyscrapers into the clouds."

But according to a recent Newsweek investigation, Trump built his last two construction projects with Chinese-made steel instead of American steel, and hid the fact by creating a chain of offshore corporate holding companies.

Trump doesn't only outsource building materials; he also has a long history of undercutting American workers by manufacturing most of the goods stamped with his name in other countries.

While telling voters he considers himself a "blue-collar worker," Trump has padded his bank account by selling shirts made in Bangladesh and China.

He's sold ties made in China. He's sold suits made in India, China, and Mexico. He's sold cufflinks made in China. He's sold Trump Vodka made in the Netherlands. He's sold Trump glassware made in Slovenia. He's stocked his hotels with products manufactured abroad.

On the campaign trail, Trump says, "Our people should have more pride in buying made in the USA."

I wonder if Trump felt pride when he purchased aluminum from China rather than the United States in another recent construction project.

More than half of our country's aluminum smelters have closed due to businesspeople like Trump turning to cheap aluminum made overseas instead of buying U.S. aluminum.

Based on his record, Donald Trump makes for a good hypocrite-in-chief rather than commander-in-chief.

Are we to believe that Trump would stand up for American workers when it comes to dealing with businesses taking jobs overseas? If he won't even stop outsourcing in his own business, why should we believe he'd stop anyone else from doing it?

Hillary Clinton is smart, thoughtful and experienced. She brings decades of commitment on behalf of working families, and for economic and social justice for all. She doesn't just talk like Donald Trump, she actually delivers.

Her record of public service shows a leader who stands up for workers' bargaining and organizing rights, for family and medical leave, and for other programs that help working families.

Time and time again, Trump has chosen profits over American workers. He thinks all he has to do is say "Believe me," over and over. He must think that voters aren't smart enough to figure out that he's lying to them, especially when he says he would crack down on outsourcing as president. Working people will show Trump just how wrong he is in November.

Chris Shelton is president of Communications Workers of America, which represents 700,000 employees across the telecommunications, media, airline, public service, and manufacturing industries, including 15,000 in Pennsylvania.